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South Park Neighborhood AssociationFri, 10 Jul 2015 02:18:40 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3December 2014 Community Meeting Minuteshttp://allaboutsouthpark.com/december-2014-community-meeting-minutes/
http://allaboutsouthpark.com/december-2014-community-meeting-minutes/#commentsTue, 23 Dec 2014 00:25:21 +0000http://allaboutsouthpark.com/?p=43977:08 Introductions & Announcements SPNA Transportation Committee, Dagmar Cronn announced that the committee (first convened in Oct 2010) will no longer meet monthly but will meet less often. Boeing, Brian Anderson announced that their section of dredging is 80% complete and will be shut down for a week during December holidays. 7:30 Police […]

SPNA Transportation Committee, Dagmar Cronn announced that the committee (first convened in Oct 2010) will no longer meet monthly but will meet less often.

Boeing, Brian Anderson announced that their section of dredging is 80% complete and will be shut down for a week during December holidays.

7:30 Police Report

Officer Berg reported a rash of stolen vehicles culminated in a series of arrests related to a big ring of thieves operating in Seattle and south to Federal Way.

Juan Colorado has their liquor license back. There is gang tagging near the library. The purple house on the NW corner of Cloverdale and 7th is under eviction notice.

Officer Berg indicated that having information about what kind of drug activity was going on is helpful in eventually getting an arrest. For example, he mentioned that observing a copper scouring pad (known crack cocaine paraphernalia) enabled a search leading to an arrest.

7:17 Please nominate South Park Unsung Heroes! To be awarded during the SPNA January potluck, Jan 13, 6pm at the neighborhood center, 8201 10th Ave S.

Give us their name and how we can get in touch with them.

Tell us in a couple or three sentences what they do for the community.

Present SPNA Board Members and those awarded previously will not be awarded.

To see a list of previous awardees, see http://allaboutsouthpark.com/neighborhood-association/unsung-heros/

Request for letter of support for Duwamish River Clean-up Coalition (DRCC) Rivertrail grant application: $68,000 from Wells Fargo in partnership with WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife. Matching grants from other partners will amount to at least $210,000. $12,000 of the grant is budgeted for the DRCC Youth Corp program.

The project to be executed stems from a process begun in part during the Duwamish Valley Vision Plan (completed 2009). Subsequent outreach to 500 community members – the greensppace vision plan – identified interest in routes connecting entry points to South Park for cyclists and pedestrians. The River Trail will extend from the South Park bridge to the boundary of South Park at the 5th Ave street end. The plan is accessible online at the Seattle Park Foundation: https://seattleparksfoundation.org/2014-pages/step-up/south-park-green-spaces

MOTION: (Dagmar, Lora) For the SPNA to provide a letter of support to the DRCC’ Wells Fargo/ Fish & Wildlife grant application for the River Trail. Unanimously passed.

After early objections from the community to a plan to clean up T117 and fence it off, in 2006 the Port executed an outreach process in South Park to identify community priorities for shoreline rehabilitation. Wildlife habitat was identified as a priority. Plan development started in 2011. During planning, project leaders petitioned for additional funding to provide public shoreline access at the site.

T117 clean-up will be completed by 2014 year end opening the way for habitat construction in 2015.

6 acres of shoreline will be restored to marsh and native riparian areas. Three public access areas are included in the plan:

Dallas at 17th Ave will feature a vehicle pullout (large enough to accommodate a school bus), wide sidewalk, bike rack and kayak lock-up feature (for use while going to park vehicle). Accessible natural habitat will be featured using a boardwalk at marsh level so that visitors can interact with the vegetation. Logs and stone features will provide features for kids recreation and exploration. The top of the river bank in this area is at about 17 feet above low tide. The path from the 17th Ave at Dallas St pullout will take visitors into a marsh basin about 6 – 8 feet below this. At exceptionally high tides this area will be under water.

A hand-carry cobble boat launch, accessed from a concrete and board path from the Dallas St pullout will be at the north end of the site (the site starts just south of the South Park Marina). This site will include a pier for water access and viewing. Natural habitat areas on both sides of the river will be visible as well as views to the north and likely Mt Rainier to the South.

Donovan streetend and the end of Dallas are the site of a City of Seattle stormwater runoff control project. A trail on that site will link to T117’s 750 foot lighted pathway, featuring viewpoints and interpretive information, at the south end of the site. This will lead to an elevated observation platform. A repurposed cruise terminal gangway will lead to a 35 foot high platform which will afford views of the waterway, wildlife habitat areas in the T117 site and Boeing’s restored shoreline to the south, as well as views north to downtown and south to Mt Rainier.

Materials and features of the site will include salvaged wood, stone and man-made objects that Port of Seattle has in their stores. Artistic features will likely include a navy bollard, a 25’ sculpture consisting of a 12.5 foot (non-climbable) plinth and a series of native style fishing baskets containing glass balls, red resin floats and other features. Besides granite benches made from material from an excavation next to Union St Station and benches carved into driftwood logs and nurselogs, wood benches hung with gabion baskets containing river stones are also planned. Jon mentioned that they also have a volume of crushed glass from the recycling plant available and are seeking ideas for how to incorporate it.

Timeline: Jan 26th, 2015 Port Commission meeting – final authorization for the habitat restoration and public shoreline access project will be sought.

Feb – May 2015: Bids sought and contracts signed.

June/July 2015: habitat and shoreline access construction to start.

Oct 2015: in-water work to commence

Feb 2016: planting of vegetation

Dec 2016 – Feb 2017: additional planting

March 2017: project enters the monitoring and maintenance phase.

Several community members thanked Jon and his colleagues for working for the creating of this wildlife resource in our community. It was noted that the process started with the community attending a Port Commission meeting to ask for something like this and it would be great to send a delegation to the Jan 26th meeting to say thanks and show the importance of this to the community. BJ Cummings volunteered DRCC resources to provide transportation to the meeting, as was done for the initial request.

Responding to requests from the group Jon indicated that he and his staff are available to present the project to other community groups, and that he will pursue time-lapse photos of the site development.

8:08pm Lower Duwamish Waterway Clean-up, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Allison Hiltner, Project Manager presented the “Record of Decision” (ROD) for the final clean-up plan. In response to the options presented in the proposed plan, 2300 comments were received by the EPA. In conjunction with work at the Early Action Areas (hotspots) and WA Dept of Ecology work to control sources of pollution entering the Duwamish the final EPA plan will reduce contamination in the waterway by over 90 percent.

An advisory group will be developed during the outreach process to help integrate the clean-up work and community concerns and to provide input into design.

The design phase will last 4 years. One of the first steps will be to identify funding from the responsible parties for the design phase. Subsequently or concurrently, monies for the implementation will be sought from responsible parties and from others.

Acreages

Clean-up Type

29

Early Action Areas (Hotspots)

177

Active Cleanup (see breakdown below)

235

Natural Recovery (no clean-up)

441

Total affected area

Acreages

Clean-up Type

105

Dredging, partial dredging with capping

24

Capping only

48

Enhanced natural recovery

177

Total Active cleanup

Cost is expected to be $342 Million

Success is determined by testing sediment to determine whether contaminant levels have been reduced to acceptable levels – the goal of the Final Clean-up Plan is to bring Lower Duwamish Waterway contaminant levels to that of the “Puget Sound background” levels, ie. an average from the undeveloped areas of Puget Sound.

Fish advisories – target is for Do Not Eat advisory to be lifted and for a 90% reduction in risk of exposure to contaminants from eating fish.

ECOSS is contracted to work with the fisher communities to determine concerns and impacts. Scroll to the third article in this link. http://www.epa.gov/region10/pdf/sites/ldw/ldw_fishers_study_fs_jun_2014.pdf

Dredging methods being used now and to be used in next phases are very clean. The problematic dredging methods used 10 years ago were ‘non-environmental methods’. Current methods, the ones used at T117, Boeing, Slip 4 and about to start at Jorgensen, are clean-dredge methods – important aspects are: skilled operators and use of a fixed arm attached to a hydrolically closing bucket. The barge onto which the dredged material is loaded is likewise fully contained to prevent spillage. Over the course of the clean-up of the Early Action Areas (hotspots) only one reportable incident occurred. According to what Allison and BJ Cummings of DRCC told us, the remaining 105 acres which the Record of Decision indicates will be subject to dredging are not hot spots, thus if any sediment were to escape into the waterway during dredging, it would be even less likely to cause a detectable level in the water.

In response to enquiry about whether it is safe to enter the river, Allison said the sediment and water at Waterway Park have been tested and were at Puget Sound background levels for the four industrial contaminants that impact human health. Don’t go in the water if it has rained in the last 3 days. The combined sewer system overflows from a recent rainfall will result in household sewer release into the Duwamish and Puget Sound outfalls.

Next South Park Community Meeting: It’s our semi-annual potluck! One hour earlier than usual, January 13th, 2014, 6pm at 8201 10th Ave S. Please come even if you can’t bring a dish to share!

]]>http://allaboutsouthpark.com/december-2014-community-meeting-minutes/feed/0November 11, 2014 Community Meeting Minuteshttp://allaboutsouthpark.com/november-11-2014-community-meeting-minutes/
http://allaboutsouthpark.com/november-11-2014-community-meeting-minutes/#commentsThu, 11 Dec 2014 16:20:51 +0000http://allaboutsouthpark.com/?p=43617:00 Introductions: We asked ourselves about our greatest environmental concern in South Park. 13 residents and service providers were present at introductions – concerns were: trash, T117, the Duwamish, Air and Deisel pollution, Deisel and trash, Air polution, our ability to colaborate to solve problems, Air pollution, what to do with oily leaves from the […]

]]>7:00 Introductions: We asked ourselves about our greatest environmental concern in South Park. 13 residents and service providers were present at introductions – concerns were: trash, T117, the Duwamish, Air and Deisel pollution, Deisel and trash, Air polution, our ability to colaborate to solve problems, Air pollution, what to do with oily leaves from the street, being able to distribute surplus food (eg from fruit trees), Port 117, Environmental Justice, walkability, please call PSCAA with air quality concerns, greenspace and habitat for people.

7:10 Acknowledgement of veterans day: We talked about the missing commemorative plaque from 8th and Thistle (see pic of the existing plaque below). Subsequent inquiry of a local historian reveals that the search for a good image of the other plaque continues as finding the names from the Veterans Administration is not productive as South Park residents were also students at Cleveland High and might be listed in that population instead. We also talked about the Catalpa trees planted by the veterans association on Thistle and Donovan Streets in the 1930’s. Details of a recent historical review also included in the appendix.

7:20 Announcements

South Park Seniors Center, Dagmar Cronn announced that a Duwamish River Opportunity Fund has been received to fund the construction of raised beds at Marra Farm as well as other program enhancements.

Duwamish River Clean-up Coalition (DRCC), Alberto Rodrigues announced:
The Duwamish Community Action for Clean Air program continues to work on indoor air quality assessments with free training for residents by the American Lung Association and projects to address outdoor air quality coming up in the future.DRCC helped prepare four proposals for the Duwamish River Opportunity fund all of which were awarded funding, at about 80% or requested levels for most of them. a) Treeplanting in South Park and Georgetown, b) 8th Ave trail along highway 99, c) Community garden and food forest in Georgetown, d) Duwamish TribeDuwamish Valley Youth Corps has been active in projects in South Park including an upcoming cleanup of the skatepark and work on the 8th Ave trail. They are a new project under the guidance of Carmen Martinez.The EPA revised decision on how much and when to clean-up the Duwamish River is expected in late November/ early December.

Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA), Sarah responded to discussion about grow-ops saying that marijuana (or any other) odor detected at the fenceline (eg. something you can smell when passing by on the sidewalk or in the alley) is an infraction and can be reported to PSCAA 800-552-3565 or online at http://www.pscleanair.org/contact/Pages/complaint.aspxDagmar noted that there are other aspects of being a good neighbor which business owners can be petitioned for. It was noted that the business owner has not made attempts to be accessible to the community to express concerns.

He has also noted some domestic violence disturbances and people living in or dealing drugs from vehicles.

Officer Berg indicated that having information about what kind of drug activity was going on is helpful in eventually getting a warrant. If the house is owner-occupied, a narcotics search warrant will be required before action can be taken. Rented premises are easier to act on. Seattle Housing can result in a 3-day notice to vacate.

Greater Duwamish District Council (GDDC), SPNA co-president Brooke recommended the appointment of alternates, Lora Suggs and Irene Stupka, as delegates from the South Park Neighborhood Association to the GDDC. She affirmed that Yue Pitre of the Department of Neighborhoods has indicated that any number of alternates may be named.

Fundraising Sub-committee – It was asked why fundraising is needed or what SPNA uses funds for. At the moment funds are used for neighborhood clean-ups, semi-annual potlucks and to provide materials for tabling at events.

MOTION: (Dagmar, Betsy) To estalish a committee as a standnig committee of the SPNA for fundraising. Passed unanimously.

T117 Clean-up, Ray Koruyawa reported that on December 1st work will be restarted for the dredging. In June 2015 the South Park side restoration work will commence.

He was asked about the pond forming in the restoration area. This area is not draining as effectively as anticipated as the underlying native soil is not porous enough to drain as expected. Currently, the site is secured and with existing water storage and infiltration the excess is not causing a problem. Ponding will be eliminated when the site restoration happens.

Basing their project on success of Portland and Highland Park Improvement Club these instigators have decided to try removing unused asphalt areas in South Park. With King County funding they are now on the hook to remove 10,000 sq ft of asphalt.

They are seeking additional site where they can remove asphalt, plant trees, install raised beds. These areas in South Park are not a part of combined sewer. They all drain to the river, thus improving water quality of runoff is important.

It was asked whether the project might include permeable asphalt to support industry it was noted that any costs of this would have to be borne by the landowner (or additional funding).

Aerial surveys have identified 300 potential sites in South Park and Georgetown but further investigation on the ground is required to determine whether depaving at any of these locations is feasible. Using a cellphone and GPS it is possible for community members to participate in this.

Future community participation will involve kicking asphalt and planting. Use of recycled asphalt is also involved. A student at Antioch is experimenting with the growing of weeds on the removed asphalt. About 100 tons will be removed and recycled.

Part II Climate Change Resilience

Cari, Hanna and Michael are also working on an outreach project to explore how the issue of climate change affects members of our community. Information was gathered from those present about what they think of when they consider the term climate change and how they can help our community cope with or prepare for it.

Discussion included mention from Sarah (PSCAA) that 20% reduction in hydropower will result from reduced snow cap and the need to protect salmon. Alberto mentioned that natural phenomena would be more severe – droughts, storms. Some members mentioned that we will need to grow our food locally and that the population of Seattle is increasing (and part of the draw is that our climate is relatively moderate).

Michael Lewis shared with us the Burke Museum Waterlines Project Map (for which he was co-designer) which explores Seattle’s past landscapes including contributions from the Muckleshoot. Information is available at www.burkemuseum.org/waterlines. This map was distributed this year at the Duwamish River Festival among other events but further copies are pending a new printing of the map.

Michael also informed the community about a Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) funded initiative to launch emergency response hubs at community gardens in Seattle. Marra farm could be considered for such a site in South Park. Dagmar mentioned that there are individuals in South Park who have already expressed interest in setting up a hub in South Park and have taken the step of getting informed by attending the meetings or trainings of other South Seattle communities.

We discussed that major environmental events have resulted in significant geological shifts in the past (especially thousands of years ago and in the more distant past). Michael emphasized that the focus of the project is to value resilience in the face of an environmental event (ice storm, volcanic eruption), rather than to focus on panic.

An exciting event, the King Tide, is coming up on January 24th. The tide will be at a seasonal extra high tide which can be observed at 8am Jan 24, 2015. Look for celebratory observance of this event hosted in our community.

Next South Park Community Meeting: December 9th, 2014, 7pm at 8201 10th Ave S

1. ECOSS Executive Director Kevin Burrellencouraged community members to participate in the Rainwise program offered by the City of Seattle and King County. There are already 21 or 22 projects implemented in South Park.

2. Librarian Lupine Bybee Miller invited us to a Dia de los Muertos event, Saturday, Oct 18th from 2­4pm at the South Park Library, 8604 8th Ave S, for ages 5+. Decorate a calavera medallion to celebrate the Day of the Dead.

3. Katey Roe from Consejo announced services provided for youth from the Consejo office at 8615 14th Ave S including mental health and addictions counseling and interventions for high risk youth to provide support for academics, job training and community attachment. A computer lab is available onsite Thursdays from 3 ­ 7pm.

4. Resident Patty Hill invited community members to comment on the DPD change in use proposal for 8500 14th Ave S, from Retail/Office to Urban Farm. This is the site of the old drycleaners now being used as a marijuana growing cooperative.

­ Duwamish River Opportunity Fund for 2014 was approved at $250,000 and the decision of which projects to fund is expected soon (the date has just been postponed from this week to sometime in the next two weeks).

­ DRCC will be joining the campaign for the City to increase the fund to $2M each year for the next five years.

Residents are invited to attend the City Budget Committee public hearing Oct 23rd at 5:30 at City Hall.Sign up for those wishing to speak is at 4:30. DRCC is willing to provide transportation (by carpool or a rented van).

­ Healthy Home assessments continue to be available. Look for a joint educational session with DRCC and the American Lung Association including instruction on making an air cleaner from a box fan, coming soon.

­ The EPA record of decision is still pending. EPA needs to be encouraged to take a strong stance in favor of a thorough clean­up and adequate compensation from the responsible parties.

­ Seattle City Light is going to be building a new training center for their staff in South Park. Their sight is next to Hamm Creek and Delta Marine.

6. Brian Anderson, Boeing, announced that dredging is underway and shifts are 24 hrs to get the work completed as soon as practicable. The current dredging is north of the SP bridge.

7:27 ­ Election of new Treasurer: Co­president Brooke O’Neill explained that the board member previously elected as treasurer had to step down for personal reasons and that the board suggests electing Irene Stupka to serve as treasurer in addition to secretary as she is willing.

Attendees were invited to contact Brooke or co­president Lora Suggs if they are interested in serving on the board.

MOTION: (Patty Hill, Paulina Lopez) To elect Irene Stupka as the treasurer of the SPNA for the remainder of the year (ending June 30, 2015). Unanimously passed.

Subcommittee report on the Future of the Neighborhood Center: A report outlining the circumstances around the neighborhood center lease and the City’s intentions around raising the rent or selling the property has been prepared by the subcommittee (attached as Appendix 1). Some salient points listed below and a review of the discussion will bring the reader up to speed. For those who have never heard of this issue, a review of the report or executive summary will be needed.

At the September 16th meeting with councilor Tom Rasmussen it was revealed that for three years the City will not initiate any changes to the current arrangements.

Brooke reviewed the executive summary of the report.

Someone enquired as to why it would take $50,000 to manage the center. She was referred to the report.

Max Lienert asked about what uses the building is currently supporting and what is the difference between SPARC and SPNA. These answers are also available in the appendix.

Kevin Burrell talked about the inadequacy of the floor space for covering the cost of operations. Because this conclusion (plus space limitations felt by current occupants) indicated a need for a larger building the SPARC board had made decisions supporting a campaign to raise funds and develop a new space to serve some or all of the uses of the current center plus meet unmet needs.

Antonia expressed concern that such a large expense could be funded in South Park.

Examples of where communities have strong neighborhood groups and the facilities to house them were given: Phinney Ridge, Wallingford.

Paulina Lopez suggested making the report available in the Community Center Lobby.

Cote Soerens thanked SPARC for their work in operating the Neighborhood Center over the years. Cote, with help from partner, Tim, suggested hosting a pitch night to gather ideas from local groups and entrepreneurs for revenue neutral or revenue positive uses of the building.

A community member suggested we demand that the City fund any shortfall in rent and just keep the building open. She was referred to the subcommittee to explore these issues in detail.

Mike Calvert asked whether there is a desire in SPNA to take over the management of the building. No one volunteered.

7:56 Police Report and 911

A resident mentioned that a couple people in official looking dark green vests (with a badge or medallion crest) may have been perpetrating a scam in the neighborhood as they were entering yards on the claim of doing an inspection or meter-reading, but they were not from SPU or the City. Officer Kiehn responded that, timetting, this is an easy activity to check out, so please call (911) if you see suspicious activity like this.

Paulina Lopez mentioned that Feet First, the safe-­walk-­to­-school program will be conducting a walking tour potentially with SPD on Oct 17. Information about Feet First is available at http://www.feetfirst.org/what­we­do/safe­routes. We look forward to hearing the results of their tour.

A resident (or two) complained about the number of people traveling to or loitering near the metals recycling business on 8th Ave.

A resident expressed some concern and frustration about a lunchtime and after work marijuana smoking session going on at the south end of 2nd Ave at Henderson St. The persons involved arrive in a red pick­up and hangout from 11:30 ­ 1:00 and smoke in their vehicle. They also sometimes come at 7­9pm. She is worried about going outside with her small children during this time. She was encouraged to keep reporting to 911, although it would likely be a low priority call. Officer TJ said he would encourage officers to visit this block at the relevant times to discourage the practice. A similar vehicle has also been seen taking lunch at the Director St parking lot at Marra Farm.

The inability of police to respond immediately to such calls was explained by officers Berg and Kiehn:Currently dispatch calls are prioritized on a 5 point scale, 1 being most urgent. There are always level 3 and 4 calls in the queue. Much of the time, there are level 1 and 2 calls. This makes it take a lot of time before a level 5 call can be responded to. A level 5 call is for crimes that are not a felony or where the crime happened some time in the past, there is no suspect at the scene and no one is in danger of injury/ needing medical attention. South Park falls into Frank sector, which extends from 35th Ave SW to the Duwamish (it includes Delridge, Pigeon Point, Highland Park, South Park). The number of officers seems to be bound by the City budget and the time required to hire more officers and get them onto patrol. Officer TJ mentioned that many nights (his shift is 7pm ­ 4am), there are 4 patrol officers for Frank Sector. He also mentioned that the number of miles on their cars has increased over the years ­ he remembers driving vehicles with 75,000 miles, but now every car has >100,000.

Officer Kiehn emphasised his engagement in improving the use of communication with and by the SPD precinct to get the best responses using the fewest resources (adding resources is beyond his control). There was also comment that City has received a high level of pressure from residents in north seattle to add to staffing in the north precinct.

Discussion of the shooting on Sept 28th at 12th and Trenton was interesting but Officer Kiehn pointed out that the response was still being documented, the case was active, and should not be commented on too candidly by police at the moment. It seems a shooting occurred outside, it was reported to 911. The victim was inside, and responding officers did not have sufficient cause to forcibly enter a residence to seek the victim. Neighbors or whoever called police were not able to give information to warrant entering any particular house. Upon a return visit by police a short while later, it seems the victim came forward and asked for assistance. According the Seattle Times, the victim was shot twice in the chest and once in the leg, and a 21 year old suspect was arrested Oct 23rd in White Center.

Despite the fact that it was almost 8:30, we imposed upon Officer Kiehn to give us the “How to call 911″ basics, and he was kind enough to do so.

Thanks Isaac Underhill for distributing your notes on this which were used to form the basis of this account.

Before-hand Preparations:

Setup a profile linked to your phone number at smart911.com (if you are comfortable providing home and personal information)

You can always place an anonymous call if you are worried that neighbours might harass you for calling the police or don’t wish to be identified for whatever reason. Officers accessing the 911 system never see caller info for anonymous calls. In the past, anonymous calls were logged with all information intact.

A ‘phone contact only’ option also exists, which allows police to call you for more information later

*** This allows SPD to use information you provide to stop and question a felony suspect that matches your description

*** SPD can not use information you provide to stop someone, they rather need to develop probable cause on their own to make a stop

No call is truly anonymous, but SPD will respect anonymous calls.

Landline records, all cell phones built since 2005 are required by the FCC to transmit phone number and GPS location info when calling 911.

http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/enhanced­9­1­1­wireless­services

When to Call:

> Public Safety (Someone is in physical danger or is hurt)

> If you believe a Crime is in progress

> Police, Medical or Fire response is needed ASAP

http://www.seattle.gov/police/contact/911.htm

>>> Non­Emergency Line 206­625­5011 for noise/parking issues or a crime that has already happened with no on going safety concerns.

Officers Kiehn and Berg explained that officers need information about crimes to act on. Calling 911, the non­emergency line (or Officer Kiehn directly) provides that information. He said that each neighborhood has a level of criminal activity that is tolerated by residents. By calling police the level is reduced.

The 911 operator is going to try to find out:

1. What happened? – What crime or accident?

2. Who is hurt?

3. Who needs to get got (apprehended)?

4. What do they look like?

Think about these things:

> Where am I?

Address, Hundred Block, Cross Streets, or Landmark (Least preferred)

> What just happened?

Theft: Taking property without permission

Assault: Physical Harm or Attempted Physical Harm

Harassment: Threatening harm or damage of property

Trespass: Being where someone doesn’t have the right to be (police need the report of a property owner or their agent to enter a property on this charge ­ for example a tenant, manager or real estate agent can call or the actual owner of record, but you can’t get police to kick someone off a vacant lot next door ­ they will need to find the owner or an agent)

Burglary: Trespass + (Any other crime)

Robbery: Theft + Assault

> Medical Response Needed?

Age and gender of injured person

Nature of injuries (Especially if there are head or neck injuries)

Are they alert and conscious or have they lost consciousness during the incident.

(40 year old female with a cut on her head, conscious, but not very alert)

Describe characteristics that make them stand out. (Walks with a limp, no teeth, sweating profusely)

Describe the last known place and direction they are headed

> Suspect Car?

1ST License Plate Number & State

2ND Color (Red, Green, Lighter, Dark) and/or Make (Ford, Nissan)

3RD Type: 2­Door, 4­Door or Hatchback, small pick­up, SUV, …

4TH Accessories ­ Roof Rack, Tinted Windows, Fancy Rims, etc

5TH describe the last known place and direction they are headed

Officer Kiehn suggested, when trying to memorize a licence plate, say the letters to yourself first, then say the whole thing (BK, B61723K). Or, if you have a harder time with numbers, say the numbers first, then the whole thing.

Make the Call:

Take a deep breath ­ this helps oxygenate your brain and your eyes. Look around, try to keep calm, make sure you are in a safe place and speak clearly.

If you do not speak English, simply state “I Speak ‘Arabic'”, you’ll be transferred to an operator who speaks the same language. Translators are always available for every call, for any language.

Handy phrases to allow for dispatch before all the details are collected (dispatch when someone is hurt or in danger will occur as soon as there is a location established, while the 911 operator/ translator stays on the line to gather more information):

“I need police”

“There is a fire”

“I need an ambulance”

Operator will say “911 ­ What are you reporting”?

Your response should be “I’m reporting a ‘*Enter crime or emergency here*’.”

Then LISTEN, operator will enter the type of call and will ask a list of questions best suited to the type of event.

LISTEN for question then calmly and clearly ANSWER.

If you don’t know the answer to a question, simply say “I don’t know”. (The call report can always be updated if you remember something extra later)

STAY ON THE LINE until the operator directs you to hangup ­ this is especially important for anonymous calls, because there may be important questions which cannot be answered later.

Other resources:

Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network. This links all Blockwatch Captains from the Duwamish to the Sound.

http://wsblockwatchnet.wordpress.com, Monthly meeting of West Seattle Blockwatch Captains occurs last Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm ­ 8:30 pm at the SW Precinct on Webster St (Near Home Depot on Delridge).

Officer Kiehn offered his own number for South Park residents to call if they had non­emergency concerns, such as issues that patrol officers may not be able to act on without additional support (like permission from a landlord. 206.733.9593.

Next South Park Community Meeting: November 11th, 2014, 7pm at 8201 10th Ave S

]]>http://allaboutsouthpark.com/october-14th-2014-community-meeting-minutes/feed/0September 9, 2014 Community Meeting Minuteshttp://allaboutsouthpark.com/september-9-2014-community-meeting-minutes/
http://allaboutsouthpark.com/september-9-2014-community-meeting-minutes/#commentsThu, 09 Oct 2014 05:06:49 +0000http://allaboutsouthpark.com/?p=42457:00 Introductions 7:15 Announcements Future of the Neighborhood Center with Councilmember Tom Rasmussen Sept 16th at 6pm – A meeting will be held at the Neighborhood Center to hear what options are possible and desired from stakeholders in the community and at the City. Please come if you are interested. Fiestas Patrias – Paulina Lopez […]

Future of the Neighborhood Center with Councilmember Tom Rasmussen Sept 16th at 6pm – A meeting will be held at the Neighborhood Center to hear what options are possible and desired from stakeholders in the community and at the City. Please come if you are interested.

Fiestas Patrias – Paulina Lopez announced that the Fiestas Patrias parade will start at 11am at Henderson St and follow 14th Ave and Cloverdale St to the Community Center on 8th Ave S. The Festival afterward will take place at the Red Apple parking lot and adjacent buildings.

The Port of Seattle has received a $20 million TIGER grant, as announced by Senator Patty Murray who established the grant program. Most of the funding goes to restructure an existing shipping site. But, there is also funding to help pay for the public access at the recently cleaned up T-117 site. The access is in addition to the required cleanup and habitat restoration.

Mobile Bike Workshop – hosted by Bike Works at the South Park Community Center, Thursdays in September from 3-6pm.

Brooke O’Neill (SPNA co-president) thanked Dagmar Cronn for her long-standing contributions to SPNA and the community.

7:20 Boeing Clean up: Brian Anderson – The Boeing clean up of site 117 is a multi-phase, multi-year project. The Demolition phase consisted of 85% of materials being recycled. In the last couple years the habitat restoration phase has been significantly achieved. New dredging will begin September 24th and continue through possible March 2015. The dredging will be done in conjunction with active fishing by the Muckleshoot. The Jorgensen site south of Boeing has started dredging already. For the Boeing work, a 20 hour workday will be in effect. Sediment is loaded into rail cars at the LaFarge site where there is a logistical bottleneck. Pilings which may be noticed in the Duwamish Waterway are used for realtime monitoring of water quality to aid in determining impacts of dredging. On another note, Dagmar Cronn and representatives of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) were given a tour of the habitat restoration area and Brian would love to see more opportunities for this, especially for youth, but pending the feasibility of navigating the cumbersome security issues at Boeing sites.

7:40 Police Report:

Officer TJ Berg and Officer Jon Kiehn indicated they will give 911 training at the Oct 14th South Park Neighborhood Meeting. The session will inform residents about the list of information they will need and the way it needs to be presented. Communication is important in calling 911. We will learn about how it works best and how it works worst.

Additionally Crime Prevention Coordinator, Mark Solomon, and Officer Kiehn will collaborate with Lora Suggs to host a Block Watch information meeting in South Park. A resource for connecting with other Block Watch captains is the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network. This links all Blockwatch Captains from the Duwamsh to the Sound. http://wsblockwatchnet.wordpress.com

Officer Kiehn responded to concerns about recent unresolved thefts indicating that “Monica” is detained in Yakima. Officer Berg explained that officers need legal authority to be on a property in order to make an arrest. This means that in the case of squatting or trespass, the owner or representative (such as a realtor) must be contacted.

Randy on Rose St enquired about any follow-up to the discussion at the August Community Meeting where calling Sgt Bauer of the Southwest Precinct Anti-Crime Team and the mayor had been put forward as action points. No one present had called Sgt Bauer or the mayor. Officer Kiehn offered his own number for South Park residents to call if they had non-emergency concerns. 206.733.9593.

The phone number for the mayor is 296.684.4000, and that for the SW Precinct and Sgt Bauer is:206.733.9800

8:10 Alberto Rodrigues – solicited letters of support from SPNA for two proposals for funds from the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund. One project is for Tree Canopy Enhancement – increasing trees in South Park and Georgetown, and the other is for improvements on the pedestrian/bike pathway between 8th Ave S and S Henderson St.

MOTION: (Brooke O’Neill, Bill Owens) To provide a letter for support from the SPNA for the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund Proposal for improvements on the 8th Ave S Trail/Duwamish Bikeway. 18 Ayes, 1 abstention. PASSED

MOTION: (Brooke O’Neill, DeVona Lahrman) To provide a letter of support from the SPNA for the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund Proposal for Tree Canopy Enhancement. 18 Ayes, 1 abstention. PASSED

ACTION POINT: Lora Suggs will write the letters.

8:28 Subcommittee formed for Future of the Neighborhood Center Brooke, SPNA co-president, announced that a subcommittee has been formed to look into the options for the Neighborhood Center building. They will give a report at the next monthly meeting.

Next South Park Community Meeting: October 14, 2014, 7pm at 8201 10th Ave S

]]>http://allaboutsouthpark.com/september-9-2014-community-meeting-minutes/feed/0August 12thhttp://allaboutsouthpark.com/august-12th/
http://allaboutsouthpark.com/august-12th/#commentsFri, 05 Sep 2014 06:17:12 +0000http://allaboutsouthpark.com/?p=4183Seattle ReLeaf Program – Katie Gibbons: The ReLeaf program has trees available to area residents. Some large trees are left – oak, douglas fir, silver linder and shore pine. Up to four trees per household, may be planted on your own property or on the road easement with a Seattle Department of Transportation permit. For […]

]]>Seattle ReLeaf Program – Katie Gibbons: The ReLeaf program has trees available to area residents. Some large trees are left – oak, douglas fir, silver linder and shore pine. Up to four trees per household, may be planted on your own property or on the road easement with a Seattle Department of Transportation permit. For trees contactwww.seattle.gov/trees/treesforneighborhoods.htm. Fall is tree planting time.

Resident Leila Mende invited community members to contact her about the possiblity of having Seattle Farmer’s Market Association hold a market in South Park.

Alberto Rodrigues , Program Manager at Duwamish River Clean-up Coalition announced Duwamish River Festival, August 23rd, 12:00-4:00pm and the next river kayak tour about Superfund Site History, September 11th, 6:00 – 8:30 pm,tours@kayakalki.com,206.953.0237

Heidi Hall, Seattle Office of Economic Development (OED) passed out coupons from the South Park Merchants Association.

Tanya Park, Puget Sound Clean Air Alliance, announced an extension of the public comment period for a permit request by Ardagh Glass to August 22, 2014. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is providing public notice regarding the issuance of a proposed General Regulatory Order to establish a Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) determination for sulfur dioxide and particulate matter emissions from glass melting Furnaces Nos. 2 & 3 at the Ardagh Glass, Inc. factory (Ardagh) in Seattle. The facility was previously owned and operated by Saint-Gobain Containers, Inc. (SGCI). This proposed determination is expected to lead to additional emission controls on each of these two furnaces.http://www.pscleanair.org/announce/permits/openpermits.aspx#toray

Randy on Rose St announced the success of the first South Park Garden and Art walk held July 27th. Ideas for future events including potluck and April seed exchange are being enthusiastically developed by participants.

Kathleen Mongrain, volunteer coordinator of the South Park Seniors Center, invited community members to review the Neighborhood Center bulletin board for new volunteer opportunities.

Sue Kirshaw, spoke on behalf of South Park Community Center, and Carmen Martinez indicating that the community center is understaffed and that the programming is suffering. Sue indicated that if the review board decides to terminate Carmen’s job she would be leading the community in protesting at City Hall.

Randy pointed out a recent drop off in youth participating in the community center. Previously, since the fatal shooting in 2006 and the SP Action Agenda there had been a significant revitalization of youth involvement in South Park and with Carmen’s reassignment there has been a gap in activities for youth.

Sue: The department will be supported by Prop 1, so there will be funding for the position in the future.

Sue also pointed out that Carmen has brought more good connections from outside South Park for the community center programming than other Parks staff.

Bill Owens commented that whatever Parks can do, it will not be able to measure up to what Carmen has contributed. Under Parks management there have been a slew of different managers at the Community Center and no continuity.

7:30 Crime Survey Report – Lora Suggs described the results of the crime survey in which 100 residents expressed concern over theft, drugs, gangs and assault. See Appendix 1.

Police Report:

Officer TJ Berg reported recent thefts from sheds, garages and houses (not so usual in the past) are likely linked to an eviction at a property on Director St. The residents on their way out are allowing others to stay at the property and together they are using different people to scope targets, steal and lookout for witnesses. They have been seen apparently transporting stolen items in baby-carriages and recycling bins. Areas involved – Concord Elementary area and Seamar Housing are high problem areas with this group. Faces are hidden on video coverage – they scope and the hit is done hours later by someone else.

Officer TJ clarified some City rules: felonies and misdemeanors-in-progress can be investigated. Completed misdemeanors cannot. Car prowls are low priority, car break-ins are a misdemeanor.

SW Precinct has an anti-crime team run by Sgt. Bauer, which can be approached to put some emphasis on this situation. This team is not subject to 911 calls unless there is an urgent situation, therefore worth asking for their more flexible time to be spent fighting theft in South Park.

Randy on Rose St asked: does this mean we have to call the mayor to ask for the anti-crime team to be active in their work in South Park? The phone number for the mayor is 296.684.4000, and that for the SW Precinct and Sgt Bauer is:206.733.9800

Kathleen Mongrain: Invited community members to participate in actions encouraging the continuation of bussing to Concord International Elementary and the establishment of Concord as an option school in the Seattle School district. These actions would help to safeguard the dual language program at Concord School and continue to provide Spanish language instruction to South Park children. Write to the school board or email Kathleen to be included in group actions. Superintendent Jose Banda:jbanda@seattleschools.org; Director, International Schools, Karen Kodama :kkodama@seattleschools.org

Alberto Rodrigues – described the work of the Duwamish River Clean-up Coalition: due to community concern and to environmental Protection Agency, Collaborative Agreement with EPA was accepted August 11th. The Duwamish Community Action for Clean Air threefold mission is: a) to compile information about sources for deisel and other air polution, b) identify any data gaps and implement new monitoring and mapping, c) take actions to reduce exposure to air pollution and incidents of asthma in area residents. Partners, SPNA, Georgetown Residents Association, Just Health Action, Seamar, Mobile access, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, EPA, and American Lung Association.

Healthy Home Assessment
Aileen Gagney told us The American Lung Association’s (ALA) Master Home Environmentalist (MHE) program is available to South Park residents. It works to educate residents and families with asthmatic children about how to reduce exposures to in-‐home pollutants and asthma triggers (e.g. dust). It also provides resources regarding indoor and outdoor pollutant identification and mitigation, human responses to exposure, no cost or low cost interventions, behavior change principles, and education regarding environmental justice and cultural sensitivity. ALA provides healthy homes assessments and devises individualized Home Action Plans with asthma management strategies, provides “walk off” door mats (to remove outdoor soil) and green cleaning kits to South Park and Georgetown residents. Information about how to make an air cleaner from a box fan and pleated filter paper will be provided. A limited number of HEPA vacuums, dust mite pillows and mattress covers will be available for residents who have children with asthma. HEPA air purifiers may also be available to residents with chronic lung conditions and whose primary exposure is determined to be from outdoor air intrusion. Information will be made available to the SeaMar Community Health Clinic to facilitate physician referrals for local residents with asthma and related health complaints. Residents can sign up for a Healthy Home Assessment with
Kevin Duong
Cell #(206) 859 9178
email:kevin@duwamishcleanup.org
Or the American Lung Association at206.512.3280www.alaw.org

Vicky Raya – Environment Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS) Rain Wise Referals and Support- the point is water quality. As a result of clean water act- because our area used to rely on forest and understory to absorb our rainwater to reduce the runoff into water table or the river (<1%). We are now experiencing 20 – 30 % runoff.

ECOSS can put you in touch with contractors (sometimes hard to get a call-back on your own) and Vendor Payment Program (so you don’t have to pay up front when you qualify for the Seattle City rebate program (that pays for up to $4000 towards the rain garden).

A small 900 sq’ home can divert up to 45,000 gallons of rainwater.
In 2013 King County had a record number of overflow events, each of which carries a fime).

South Park Identifier Art Project
Heidi Hall, Seattle City Office of Economic Development. A grant from King County for $150,000 (physical improvements for the business corridor along 14th Ave South and ED decided to take something from South Park Action Agenda to make something for a wayfinder and identifier gateway project. Jason of Arts and Culture – put together a call for artists. 20 or so applicants – were looking for someone from along the Duwamish waterway.

Artists budget is $130,000, $20,000 to a community organization to maintain the artwork, street use permits and any other costs (SPARC).

Based on strength of work and concept, selected Jennifer Weddermann and , Diane Hansen.

Jennifer reported on the descriptors they heard from residents about South Park: Scrappy, demographics, active and diverse culture and lots of blending of groups, colorful, urban and hardworking, using what they do to decorate their environment (tire shop, bridge).

A previous idea about a large waving cat has been cut due to the overarching Japanese style (despite any modifications that were planned for the surface).

The idea for a angler fish to be locate on the southeast side of the bridge is gutsy, tough, strange, unique and common enough to identify fish-type. Solar LED will be used to light the lantern that will stick out from the head.

Lora asked about using the pedestal across the street.
Randy said that is owned by King County and the community would have to ask them about changing their plans.

Someone asked about getting the light to arc across the street.

Randy suggested that an artwork that requires an explanation about it’s message is maybe not ‘working’. What about a tree with multiple lanterns. Lora supported the idea because of the importance of agriculture. Jennifer Weddermann responded that a tree is not iconic enough. Randy asked what are the next steps.

Jason: Review committee (Arts & Culture, King County, ED, a community representative and a merchant representative) will continue to review and inform the process.

Randy asked how the remainder of the community has been consulted – he emphasized the need to contact cultural subgroups in South Park.

Meredith Hall spoke about the importance of including community members in the development. She cited the development of the snowflake pieces in Horatio Law’s ‘South Park Vortex’ erected at the Director St parking lot of Desimone Park.

Neighborhood Center Update
Kyle Joyce of the City Finance and Administrative Services has been reaching out to stakeholders. Council member Tom Rasmussen wants to meet with stakehoders and Providence reps to discuss what the community needs are and how best to meet them.

Randy on Rose Street suggested forming a subcommittee to strategize for communicating with the City, other stakeholders and to galvanize the community’s voice on this matter. A meeting of this subcommittee will take place August 24th. Interested community members are invited to join by emailing irene.stupka@gmail.com.

9:00 meeting adjourned.

Appendix 1 Crime survey results summary

The survey enquired what is your top crime concern. Listed are the type of concern and number of respondants indicating it as their top concern

]]>http://allaboutsouthpark.com/august-12th/feed/0June 2014 Meeting/Potluck Minuteshttp://allaboutsouthpark.com/june-2014-meetingpotluck-minutes/
http://allaboutsouthpark.com/june-2014-meetingpotluck-minutes/#commentsSun, 27 Jul 2014 22:19:57 +0000http://allaboutsouthpark.com/?p=4085South Park Neighborhood Association (SPNA) Semi-Annual Potluck Minutes No business was scheduled to be discussed in the tradition of the SPNA semi-annual potluck but there were two visiting groups: Diane Hansen and Jennifer Weddermann, artists selected by the Seattle Department of Arts and Culture for the South Park Identifier Artwork Project. A bit of background: […]

No business was scheduled to be discussed in the tradition of the SPNA semi-annual potluck but there were two visiting groups:

Diane Hansen and Jennifer Weddermann, artists selected by the Seattle Department of Arts and Culture for the South Park Identifier Artwork Project.

A bit of background: King County (as part of / an adjunct to) the bridge closure and replacement agreement contributed funds ($130,000) towards the enhancement of the South Park commercial core for physical improvements in the commercial corridor along 14th Avenue S. to enhance the appearance of South Park’s main retail business district. The stipulation was that the community be consulted and a design presented by May 31st, 2014 and the art installed by September 30th, 2014.

Of the artists daring enough to submit their reputations to this challenge, Diane Hansen and Jennifer Weddermann were selected by the City of Seattle to develop a series of identifiers and wayfinding artworks that celebrate South Park and its business district along 14th Avenue S.

The artists have engaged in community interviews and prepared preliminary graphics for two statues which they presented at the potluck meeting. Their preliminary proposal was to construct two statues incorporating a blend of cultural images relevant to South Park.

The SPNA has subsequently contacted the department of Arts and Culture and the two artists and been told by both parties that the sketched shown were preliminary. They do not represent an actual proposed work.

One of the drawings was a Maneki-neko cat 20′ tall (including pedestal), at the Georgetown side of the the bridge on the east side of the roadway. Modifications might include calacas (Day-of-the-Dead-style bones) depicted on the body of the traditional Japanese good-luck-beckoning-cat.

The second, a skeletal angler fish (an order of fish called Lophiiformes) standing on its tail, complete with solar-powered glowing lantern (an actual feature of the angler fish), was at the South Park end of the bridge in front of what previously the dry cleaners (the east side of 14th Ave).

Two representatives from Save Cheasty Greenspace (savecheastygreenspace.org) solicited support from our membership and organisation in a bid to prevent the Seattle Parks Department and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance from developing the Cheasty Greenspace natural area into a mountain bike park. Their petition was made available for participants to sign and is available online at the above web address. The SPNA invited the visitors to email the SPNA secretary with a request for a letter of support for consideration to the membership/ board.

Along with regular patrol officers, an ACT is an Anti-Crime Team working in the precinct on non-emergency issues, in particular burglaries, car prowling, and warrants. ACT works from 1pm to 10pm.

Violent crimes rates very low in precinct. Biggest serious crime is residential burglary. Burglars are predominantly caught when neighbors call to report suspicious behaviors. Report, report, report – the police do not read the listserv and can’t allocate resources where they’re needed unless people call and report. Most calls in the precinct are for 1.) Suspicious activity; 2.) Minor disturbances; and 3.) School visits.

Pierre Davis on the recent murder in Duwamish Waterway Park: can’t comment on active investigation, but does not appear to be random. Will say that the person who was murdered was well known by police to cause problems and crimes have dipped since his death.

Community Member Concerns:

Concern voiced from community member about the City Attorney’s office deciding to not prosecute certain types of crimes, such as breaking and entering and trespassing. Melissa Chin responded that the Attorneys office does not have a policy of not prosecuting such crimes, and does prosecute such crimes. The problem arises when it is a bank-owned property and there is no bank representative willing to complain and prosecute – City cannot prosecute in those cases.

Concern voiced from community member about lack of police presence and lack of response to serious calls. He’s witnessed theft, drug dealing, and violent assault in front of his house, and called 911, but gotten no meaningful response from police. Kessler responded that they do have a shortfall in staff because more officers are retiring than recruited, and several officers are on short-term disability. However, they always have an officer on duty in South Park and there is not a disparity between South Park’s police presence and the rest of the precinct.

Concern voiced from community member that Duwamish Waterway Park closes at 11pm, can the police clear it out at night? Officers responded that it can be difficult to do because of the manpower needed and the potential for instigating an altercation with inhabitants. They have asked Parks to clear out the vegetation so that there are fewer places to hide, which has helped. They will also make sure there is a much higher police presence in the park now.

Local Project Updates

T-117 update – Roy Kuroiwa, Port of Seattle: Upland excavation progressing – should be done in December. A lot of night work being done because of low tides at night. In-water work starts Dec 1st. No more major discoveries so far this month.

Three wells will be drilled in South Park during the week of November 11 as part of a geotechnical study in preparation to help plan future sewer projects in South Park. See flyer handouts for more info.

SP Parks Master Plan – community involvement coming in January – full presentation will be given at December’s neighborhood meeting.

Call for Unsung Hero nominations

Handed out Think Green recycling information for everyone to take home

Art Under $100, Saturday December 7 from 2-9pm at the Community Center. Over 1,600 people came last year.

Other

Question from community member: Is there a way to get back the garbage can that used to be out near Sea Mar? Since it was removed, trash on the street has increased. Dagmar responded that the City will not put out cans, as it is considered an adjacent property owner responsibility. We could ask Sea Mar if they’d be willing to put a can out again and take responsibility for it.

Local Project Updates Continued

Community Health Impact Assessment project results – BJ Cummings, DRCC and Linn Gould of Just Health Action — BJ gave abbreviated presentation (15 minutes) and will give a larger presentation in February. DRCC wants community input on where to go next to address community health issues.

Part 150 Noise briefing for SeaTac airport, Stan Shepherd, Manager, Aviation Noise Programs – POSTPONED for December to allow more time for other items at meeting.

SeaTac Airport’s air quality programs, Leslie Stanton, Manager, Aviation Environmental Programs POSTPONED for December to allow more time for other items at meeting.

Business

SPNA Membership Election for Replacement of Greater Duwamish District Council representative from SPNA – Dan Bentler is recommended to membership by SPNA Board. GDDC recommends an alternate be designated, too. Dan Bentler was elected by community vote. No alternate was selected.

Lower Duwamish Waterway: Removal Action on Jorgensen Forge Property Delayed from 9/2013 to 8/2014. Site is on the Georgetown side of Duwamish. Becki Chu from EPA will come to future meeting to speak more on this issue.

South Park will soon be officially awarded $575,000 in Bridging the Gap competitive bond funds to extend the West Duwamish Trail an additional two blocks on 8th Ave S from Portland to Kenyon.

King County asked the South Park Bridge contractor to install a chain-link fence around the sculpture base until the end of the project in order to prevent anyone from sitting on it. This was initiated at the request of Dagmar due to complaints on the South Park listserv about the kinds of people hanging out there. Tim Lane, project supervisor with King County, also announced that the County will now be redesigning the permanent sculpture to remove the “sittable” area that had been part of the plan.

$56,000 from Neighborhood Parks and Street funds for preliminary upgrades to Duwamish Waterway Park. The Duwamish Waterway Park monies are to be used for temporary and movable improvements that won’t interfere with a subsequent park design.

Mayor McGinn has recommended $50,000 for the South Park Senior Center in his proposed 2014 budget to the City Council who will approve the 2014 budget on November 25 after two public hearings.

A new flashing light has been installed on 8th Ave S by Concord Elementary School to slow traffic.

Preserving Your Old House workshop to be held on November 2 at Community Center. Light brunch included.

Annexation of “Sliver by the River”. Small area abutting Duwamish is outside of City boundaries, and Seattle intends to annex it. Seattle submitted initial request several years ago. However, a dispute between Seattle and the City of Tukwila over annexation the so-called Duwamish Triangle on the other side of the SP Bridge held up Seattle’s application to annex both areas. Tukwila has dropped their appeal to be allowed to annex the Duwamish Triangle. No resident vote on annexation is required because more than 60% of the area’s boundary borders incorporated Seattle.

Demonstration rain garden and cisterns are to be installed at Neighborhood Center soon. Rainwise program is providing monetary assistance to South Park residents who want to have rain gardens and/or cisterns installed on their property. Reimbursement/rebates for installation are available to those who qualify. Eleven rain gardens have been installed so far in South Park and about 10-11 are in progress. To learn more come to workshop on October 17th, 6:30 pm-8 pm at the Community Center or visit the Rainwise booth at the Duwamish Alive celebration at Duwamish Waterway Park on October 19th.

Rainwise is focusing on completing rain garden projects in public right of way in South Park and Highland Park in order to reduce stormwater that flows to the combined sewer overflow system. Reducing stormwater runoff will reduce the overflow of sewage into our waterways. A recent survey was completed of South Park planting strips and alley ways to identify candidate areas. Plan to install rain gardens in planting strips, with neighbor inputs, and replace paved alleyways with pervious pavement. Next, soil borings will be drilled soon in some areas to assess soil infiltration.

Forest restoration at Westcrest Park, the closest forested area to South Park

Joanna Nelson de Flores, Forterra: One hundred years ago Seattle was mostly forested with conifers (fir, cedar, hemlock, etc.). As Seattle developed, several areas of forest were preserved (thanks in part to the Olmstead brothers). These areas continue to provide great benefits. However, these remaining forests are at risk of being lost to us within the next 50 years. Our forests are dying out, in large part due to the invasive species (such as ivy) that have suppressed the forest’s natural ability to regenerate. Forterra is a coalition formed to save the Seattle forests but relies on community support and volunteer work in order to achieve this goal.

Westcrest Park is located on the forested hillside immediately west of South Park. Unfortunately, there is currently no access from South Park to enjoy this natural landscape that is so close. Nevertheless, Forterra is asking residents of South Park to invest in the future of their forest (with the help of a grant from the Duwamish River Clean up Coalition). A tour of the Park and planting party is being put on for the South Park community on November 2, 10-2.

A side note on the lack of access to this green space from South Park: those interested in seeing an access way should make their voice heard in the upcoming South Park Green Space Vision Plan (see announcement 8, above).

Duwamish River Clean up Coalition announcements:

-Duwamish Alive festival coming up – weekend of October 19-20. Lots of great activities – check out DRCC website.

-October 27th is the haunted Halloween boat tour – fun for all ages. Check out DRCC website to learn more.

The Seattle Parks Foundation (SPF) is an organization independent of the City of Seattle whose interest is focused on Seattle parks and green spaces. The South Park neighborhood offers exceptional opportunities for developing connected parks and green spaces including a public plaza at the base of the new South Park Bridge, improvements to Duwamish Waterway Park, street-end parks and viewpoints, and walking and biking paths connecting all of these spaces. Seattle Parks Foundation is working with the South Park Area Revitalization Committee, SPNA and the community at large to develop a community-supported plan that integrates and prioritizes these public space and recreation opportunities. As part of this, the plan will develop schematic designs for the top community priorities, and an implementation strategy for achieving project priorities. It’s intended that the plan will guide public and private sector investments over the next five years. An interview panel comprised of Seattle Parks Foundation, community and agency representatives is in the midst of a hiring process to bring on the consultant team. The South Park Green Space Vision Plan will launch later this month and conclude by March 2014.

Progress reports will be presented at SPNA meetings or on the list serve as needed.

Seattle City Council has adopted the recommendation to fund purchase of the property next to the new South Park Bridge for a South Park Plaza/Park. The City will offer to purchase the property next year although the owner has no obligation to sell and the City cannot offer more than the appraised price.

South Park open air Movie Night this Friday at 7:30 in parking lot of Suds/Stockbox. Showing the movie UP.

Police Report

Importance of reporting crimes to SPD, no matter how small; say you have reported when posting to list serve or elsewhere, Betsy McFeely can also put in contact with Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer.

SPD officer’s report (Officer TJ Berg)

■ Delirious man in South Park Grocery was seen destroying property in cold case and ended up dying that night. It’s unknown whether he had a medical condition or was on drugs.

■ Juan Colorado bust – in SP there were four homes that were raided – recovered considerable amount of narcotics, money and guns.

■ Riot/fight at Community Center during a large celebration.

■ New gang – see hanging out near 12th and Donovan.

■ Spike in bike theft recently. One suspect was arrested. Another suspect is known.

What to do if you suspect drug dealing – call 911 and report activity.

Local Project Updates

SPU Flooding project updates

■ 7th Ave S. Pump Station, Sheila Harrison. Progress has been in acquisition of Wood property. Acquisition was required to replace the portion of the existing street end (and water viewpoint) that will be occupied by new pump station. The stormwater filter technology that was chosen to manage water quality was discovered to be less effective and more costly than thought. Therefore, the City is currently reviewing other water quality options before proceeding with rest of design.

■ 14th and Concord Flooding Mitigation Project, Sahba Mohandessi. Potential for expediting the project was assessed but, unfortunately, construction in 2014 is not feasible. However, the project is still on schedule to go to construction in 2015. Nothing can be done to mitigate flooding in the meantime – this is not a maintenance issue, it is a constriction issue.

■ Report all incidents of flooding or sewage/drainage back up to the 24/7 hotline: 206-386-1800. The more reports are made the better.

■ Lots of unexpected materials discovered buried in river bank – part of old Malarkey facility. Site was investigated exhaustively – about 250 borings were taken on the 3 acre site as well as GPR and other studies. Most of the unexpected materials found under riprap on river bank, which was not easy to investigate. Contractor was not prepared for extent of materials to be removed. A second contractor was brought in under emergency clause to assist. NRC moved in on Monday and removed majority of material in about two days. They will be retained for potential future assistance if needed.

■ Webcam mounted – can go online and see cleanup in progress: www.t117.com

■ Lots of bank work will be done over next few weeks to take advantage of low tides.

■ Donovan street repair still to be done in near future– will be a full depth rebuild – should be 3-5 day construction. Construction trucks will be rerouted along Dallas during road repair.

Come early for special presentation at 5:30 pm, Results of Diesel Exhaust Study, Puget Sound Sage. Food provided. Dinner at 5:30 and presentation at 6:00 with opportunities for public input on air quality improvements

7:00 pm, South Park Neighborhood Association monthly meeting

South Park Neighborhood Center, 8201 10th Ave S

Other

South Park Bridge – south leaf was installed today.

Calling all South Park and Georgetown Neighbors to Westcrest Park! As part of a Healthy Community grant from the EPA and the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, the Green Seattle Partnership will be hosting two educational forest clean-up events. We will start with a brief tour of the park, learn about the value of healthy forests to our communities, and spend a few hours removing invasive plants and planting to keep the forest going strong. Lunch provided to all volunteers so please register in advance. Open to all ages.